I'm climbing in an area with a few hangerless bolts. I've read how one can protect them by purchasing moses keyholes, or using nuts ex:

http://www.rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2230195

I am just wondering using the nut method, I gather you slip the nutted end over the bolt and then slap your carabiner on the same end you normally would?

It seems like the strength rating on the nut for this type of load, basically loading it on center pulling it towards the end of the cable, would not be the same as when it's used as a chock.. I guess worse case the nut could break but you'd still have the wire to fall back on...

Just to be clear, you are supposed to slide the nut down the cables, place the end loop over the stud, then push the stopper up tight under the bolt. This yields a strength roughly equivalent to that of the swaged cable.

Just to be clear, you are supposed to slide the nut down the cables, place the end loop over the stud, then push the stopper up tight under the bolt. This yields a strength roughly equivalent to that of the swaged cable.

Ahh okay thanks, I wondered about that but with my BDs they didn't really seem to want to slide down so ruled it out. I'll have to monkey with them more see if I can get them to slide.

Just to be clear, you are supposed to slide the nut down the cables, place the end loop over the stud, then push the stopper up tight under the bolt. This yields a strength roughly equivalent to that of the swaged cable.

Just to be clear, you are supposed to slide the nut down the cables, place the end loop over the stud, then push the stopper up tight under the bolt. This yields a strength roughly equivalent to that of the swaged cable.

If you are in a position to do that fiddling - great. But a lot of times its not feasible plus the threads might be trashed, the bolt bent, etc. Sometimes the hanger is still there just loose and separated from the rocks and you an slip the wire behind it. Doing it with a nut means you are carrying any extra specialized gear. None of these represent ideal 100% perfect solution - but are better then nothing. That's what real world (as opposed to e-climbing on the Internet) usually boils down to.

i mean how much do they weight? ... is hanging around fiddling with a nut trying to push the wire up any easier?

personally id rather have a solid hanger and 10mm nut on any decent bolts that might be there ... the wire/nut on hanger does not inspire too much confidence personally especially if the line wanders ... ie drag

... but put a nut, the line wanders and the put [nut] pulls off with drag ...

Actually, if you can cinch up the nut (ie: stopper) behind a nut on the bolt (or behind the bolt hanger in the case of a loose hanger), they're really quite stable. On a route in Tuolumne Meadows I had to deal with a smashed hanger (from ice fall). The hanger was useless and the threads were stripped. I cinched a stopper behind the nut, put on a full length sling, hung some extra gear on the stopper (to weight it a little - I remember including my sneakers in the mix), then heading off on a wandering 50' 5.9 run-out.

Even is you carried a few hanger and various nuts, a wire is much easier. You don't have to figure how which nut fits the threads.

In the Blue Mountains, they often have carrot bolts. Bolts designed to have a removable hanger. You carry the hangers in your chalk bag, place them on the bolt stub, then clip it. Even with the process being designed for climbing, getting the carrots on can be a real %^&%$.